The programme, called "Operation ... Live", will be screened on Five next month.

The woman involved has not yet been chosen but will be having a Caesarean for medical reasons.

Hosted by Sheena McDonald, the hour-long programme aims to "demystify" what goes on in the operating theatre. The 20-minute procedure, by which a baby is delivered through an incision in the abdomen, will be preceded by footage of the woman in the days leading up to the birth, plus interviews with the medical team.

A Five spokeswoman said, "The mother-to-be will be having the operation because she has been advised she needs it for medical reasons, rather than through choice."